The Split Up Review: Lavish, Nonsensical Divorce Drama

The television series "The Split Up" delivers a "full-on sudsy fun" experience from its initial moments, drawing parallels to its predecessor, "The Split." This new installment, available on BBC iPlayer, centers on a family-run family law firm that specializes in divorce cases for high-net-worth individuals. While the writing team has seen a change, with Ursula Rani Sarma taking over from Abi Morgan, and the setting shifting from London to Manchester, the core premise remains consistent. The series features a British South Asian family at its heart, continuing the tradition of glossy storytelling.

Each episode of "The Split Up" typically features a "case of the week," which serves as a stable point amidst the unfolding drama of the personal and professional lives of the interconnected lawyers. These storylines involve their romantic entanglements, individual challenges, and career aspirations. The show is characterized by a blend of "mild glamour" and intricate plotting, designed to ensure "viewer happiness." Sanjeev Bhaskar is noted for his role as a patriarch who is in the process of handing over the family business, a key element in this spinoff.

The series is a spinoff of the original "The Split," which itself focused on a family of divorce lawyers. The original series, created by Abi Morgan, garnered attention for its exploration of complex legal cases intertwined with the personal lives of the Defoe family. "The Split Up" appears to maintain this thematic focus, albeit with a new cast of characters and a different familial and geographical context. The shift to Manchester and the introduction of a British South Asian family suggest an expansion of the show's scope and representation within the legal drama genre.

The narrative structure of "The Split Up" allows for both episodic engagement through the weekly cases and a more profound exploration of the ongoing personal arcs of the main characters. This dual approach aims to keep viewers invested in the overarching family saga while providing satisfying resolutions within individual episodes. The show's commitment to a "soapy" tone suggests an emphasis on emotional drama, interpersonal conflicts, and perhaps unexpected twists, all contributing to its described "lavish, nonsensical fun."